This is a series of posts by Camille, Ridejoy Happiness Manager, on food, community, and (collaborative) consumption.

Ridejoy (and friends) waiting for their cue to grab a plate! (credit Garry Tan)

At Ridejoy, we’re on a mission. We’re excited about creating an awesome service to share rides with friendly people, and we’re inspired to bring together people in their cars and create a more sustainable society.

But a strong mission isn’t worth much without a strong company culture to bring that vision to life. By bringing ourselves together first, we can set our goals clearly and do our best work.

I think how Ridejoy hires and who’s been brought onboard demonstrates dedication to an amazing company culture. But at Ridejoy, we’re not just a team, we’re a family, and families eat together.

That’s where I come in.

The Back-story

I originally discovered Ridejoy deep in a Hacker News thread. I loved what they were doing, so one night I sent them a long email expressing my delight at the thoughtful way they’re building community, and asking if they needed help.

That began my journey from enthusiastic ridesharer to a part of the Ridejoy team. I came onboard part-time to lend a hand as Office Hero, helping out with administrative and social media tasks.

A week later, inspired by Thumbtack’s Food Rules post, we decided to experiment with home-cooked meals based on my experience as a cook and kitchen manager in 100+ member housing cooperatives. It’s worked out great and the Office Hero evolved into the Ridejoy Happiness Manager.

Dining Well

We now eat healthy meals together most nights of the week and it’s been fantastic.

As someone who’s spent her formative years in the East Bay’s local and organic food movement, I’ve witnessed the power of how food can bring people together and build community. Our team dinners let us sit down, savor the moment and unwind for a bit together.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
-Virginia Woolf

I believe that by sharing and accepting what others share, life can be more satisfying, sustainable, and safe. By making meals in the office, we get to reify our beliefs about sustainability and community by buying raw ingredients from Farm Fresh to You (a CSA program that delivers in San Francisco) and sourcing more ethical meats. Quality meals turn into quality time together.

This is just the beginning! In my next post, I’ll share specific tips on how we make food work for us and build community within our team through food.

A dinner I made last week: mesquite-rubbed pork, sweet potato cakes, pan-fried chickpea salad, roasted asparagus, and brown rice